Spring Road Super Review

Origin of the Red Skull's Dust of Death

Thanks to the runaway success that's the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know recognize both Captain America (so ably portrayed by Chris Evans) and the Star-Spangled Avenger's eternal nemesis, the Red Skull. Fans who only know Cap and the Skull through the MCU, however, are missing out on a lot of rich lore. For example, they may never even have heard of the Red Skull's signature weapon (at least as of the late 1980s): the Dust of Death!

I vividly remember how these panels affected me when I first read them in Captain America #350 (February 1989)

According to its entry in the Marvel Database, the dust would kill:

...by making contact with [its] victim's skin, causing the skin on the...head to tighten, shrivel, and take on a red discoloration...causing all the hair on the victim's head to fall out...[and leaving the corpse with the appearance of having] a "red skull"/"masque of the red death" for a head. The Red Skull would many times dispense "the dust of death" from a large cigarette holder...[but] could also fire [the dust] from a special handgun. (Dust of Death. Marvel Database)

Conventional wisdom is that the Dust of Death first appeared in Captain America #184 (APR 1975). (see here and here), but there's also a contention by Marvel Comics Chronology commenter Mark Drummond that the Skull, "used the Dust in the Golden Age; [Writer, Steve] Englehart just revived it."

Given the prominence of the Dust of Death--at least by the time of my comicdom (i.e., 80s-early 90s), you'd think it would be pretty easy to source Drummond's claim. However, I've not been able to find any specific references to these supposed Golden Age appearances.

However, during some other reading in Golden Age comics I ran across a story entitled, "The Meeting that Death Attended" from Fox Feature Syndicate's The Big 3 #7 (JAN 1942). In it writer Jay Foster treats us to the conflict between the patriotic V-Man and the nefarious (and hilariously named) Baron Von Und Zu Schutz. Check out these panels featuring the Baron's weapon of choice:

It may not be red, but doesn't that pilot's face look kinda skull-y?

And in the first direct clash between V-Man and Baron Von Und Zu Schutz

And, finally, after his initial defeat and return for the closing act, the Baron is hoisted on his own petard.

Since the Red Skull's first appearance was in Captain America Comics #7 (OCT 1941), it is possible that he made use of the Dust of Death first and Jay Foster copied the idea here in The Big 3 #7 (JAN 1942).

However, in the synopses that I can find online of comics: (1) featuring the Red Skull and (2) published prior to January 1942, to wit:

I'm not seeing any evidence that the Dust of Death was part of the story-line. Consequently, unless someone can point me to some counter-evidence, I think I have stumbled across the first instance of this concept.

NOTE: I realize one could argue that all the Dust of Death stuff is ultimately derivative of the concept of Joker Venom. If you buy that argument--and, frankly, I don't--then Joker's weapon has precedence since it appeared first in Batman #1 (APR 1940)

Homage to the Greatest Cold-War Cap Opponent: The Red Guardian!

Red Guardian (Josef Petkus) as depicted in Captain America #353 (MAY 1989)

This post is dedicated to one of my favorite iconic Cold War characters: Marvel's Red Guardian! One needn't trace the history of the Red Guardian very far before being struck by how many "Red Guardians" there have been--at least seven, by my count!

This particular post is concerned only with the Josef Petkus version and--even more specifically--with the first time I ran across RG in Captain America #353. As a kid of the 80s I grew up on moves like Rocky IV and the high drama of Olympic showdowns between East and West.

"What a great concept!," I remember thinking. "I can't wait to find some more comic books featuring this guy's rivalry with Captain America!" Alas, my dreams were to be dashed. In less than two years, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would officially dissolve...and with it any real raison d'etre for the Red Guardian. At least I had that one shining moment of comic greatness. I invite you to join me in that reminiscence now.

Captain America #353
This issue began in dramatic fashion--with three dying Soviet Super Soldiers. They had arrived at Avengers' Island in the previous issue requesting political asylum; but were subsequently attacked by an "unknown force."

The force was only "unknown" to folks like me who had missed Captain America #352, where it was revealed that the Super Soldiers had been targeted by a second team of Russian operatives known as the Supreme Soviet. For reasons that are never explained, the Supreme Soviets had disguised themselves as Avengers for the duration of the assault.

Meanwhile, Captain America was en route to the Soviet Union for a goodwill tour. While his public purpose was to explore the possibility of expanding Avengers peacekeeping operations into the Communist bloc, secretly he suspected the attack on the Super Soldiers might have been a Kremlin-sanctioned operation, and he wanted to gather intelligence on this possibility.

This covert intention evidenced some less-than-meticulous attention to narrative logic. Everyone in Russia knew Cap was in the country, and the Soviets seem to be keeping pretty tight tabs on him. It's difficult to imagine how even he could've imagined getting the kind of privacy necessary to actually dig up Kremlin dirt.

Of course, this wasn't a critical piece of the narrative, and so they suffered the fate of all throw away lines. Cap would never have to face the espionage challenge because his attention would quickly be focused upon a beast of pure black energy that would randomly appear and start rampaging down the Moscow boulevards.

Side note: I really like the way Cap is depicted as leaping into the panel from somewhere outside. Nice touch.

Despite Cap's best efforts the beast disappears as quickly as it appeared and nothing much is resolved. I'm guessing that the narrative purpose of this first encounter was to let the first avenger to prove his sincerity about wanting to "serve the Soviet people in times of emergency."

The Red Guardian later shows up (in the opening panel of this post) at Cap's hotel room. The Soviet superhuman has been assigned to be Captain America's handler for the duration of the trip. The two icons aren't together very long, however, before the beast shows up again and we get to see both shield slingers go into action.

Notice how R.G. is a little accusatory in his tone (e.g., "the behemoth you claim ravaged our streets)?

This was my favorite panel of the whole comic! Again, Cap comes off as a humble dude who's just interested in stopping the threat. The Guardian comes off as petty and self-centered.

Despite how battle savvy R.G. looks in the above panel, by the end of this particular fight he was absorbed into the beast. Later when the rest of the Supreme Soviet attack the beast, they suffer the same fate as R.G.

Ultimately, writer Mark Gruenwald accessed his inner Golden-Age self to wrap this one up. It's revealed that the beast was really some sort of mysterious psychic amalgamation of the comatose Soviet Super Soldiers. Though their intent was to punish the Supreme Soviets' treachery by stealing their life forces, an impassioned plea by Captain America reaches the Super Soldiers' better angels, and they refrain from killing their attackers.

This sort of cheesy self-reflection was pretty standard in the Gruenwald Cap...Man, I loved that stuff! I still do. It may have been pollyanna, but it appealed to idealism. I wish there was more writing like this now.

Returning to my titular claim, I recognize that "greatest Cold-War opponent" is quite a claim. Nevertheless, I personally think it fits. I can't think of anyone else who it could be legitimately put forward as Cap's Soviet rival....but maybe I just don't know enough about comics.

What say you veteran Marvelites? Is there someone (or someones) that I'm leaving out?

Midnight Feature: pt. 2 (Smash Comics #44)

Last week we left Midnight & company in shock after Johnny Peters (brother of the late Jinny Peters-Baloney) confessed to his sister's murder! For his part, Midnight doesn't believe it--though he can't fathom why Johnny's so eager to play the fall guy. Before our he can get any answers, however, the earth around Jinny's grave gives way, sending Sniffer Snoop and Hotfoot plunging into darkness. Johnny seizes the moment and flees, blaming Midnight for having "made a mess of everything!"

About this time, Bull overhears Johnny's claim and in a rage lays a slug into the young man's back.

Severely wounded, Johnny leaps into the gaping maw where Jinny's grave had been.

Meanwhile in the caverns below the island, Sniffer Snoop is shocked to witness the supposedly dead Jinny rising from her coffin like some nosferatu.

After Midnight arrives in the subterranean caverns (suspiciously-quickly, it should be noted) Sniffer hysterically relays the facts of his "ghostly" encounter.

Johnny, who's also suddenly re-materialized, continues blaming Midnight for having, "messed things up," shortly before passing out from his gunshot wound. At this point, Jinny finally breaks down and explains what's going on.

By the time Jinny is finished untangling this unlikely web of deception, Bull has shown up. Having overheard how he himself was manipulated, Baloney is none to pleased.

Though Midnight bravely hurls himself at Bull and his forces, the latter's advantage in numbers and firepower eventually dictates retreat as the better part of valor.

Forced ever deeper into the caverns, Midnight and company eventually come to a dead end. Trapped between boiling hot springs and an enraged killer, Midnight is ready to give the last full measure.

Tapping into his inner realist, Gabby is less sanguine. The Mighty Monkey calls upon Doc to supply this month's deus ex machina, which the latter naturally produces courtesy of a previously foreshadowed mystery invention.

While Doc is getting ready for the big reveal, Sniffer Snoop actually makes himself useful (for the first time in recorded Midnight lore) by laying down a smoke screen.

What's unclear is whether we're to understand Sniffer as having fired: (A) some sort of 'smoke bomb shell', or (B) standard shot from a superlatively smokey long gun.

Under the safety of Sniffer's cover, Wackey paddles his friends to safety in...an air canoe?!

Beyond the obvious question of why anyone would need a self-propelled air canoe, what's even more curious is why Wackey is paddling said air canoe.

And if the weirdo last-minute irrational invention escape isn't enough deus ex machina for you...

It's really impressive how Midnight's been able to examine the slug pulled from Johnny's back not that long ago (y'know...when everyone was running for their lives!) and has also been able to definitively match it to the slug that killed the warehouse watchman a week ago?!

And that's pretty much it. Man...even for the Golden Age this is some startling last-minute plot wrap-up desperation.